Effect of Nanotube Functionalization on the Elastic Properties of Polyethylene Nanotube Composites

The effects of the chemical functionalization of a single-wall carbon nanotube in nanotube/polyethylene composites on the bulk elastic properties are presented. Constitutive equations are established for composites containing both functionalized and nonfunctionalized nanotubes using an equivalent-continuum modeling technique. The elastic properties of both composite systems are predicted for amorphous and crystalline polyethylene matrices with various nanotube lengths, volume fractions, and orientations. The results indicate that for the specific composite materials considered in this study most of the elastic stiffness constants of the composite with functionalized nanotubes are either less than or equal to those of the composite without functionalized nanotubes. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]